First stop before the beach: The dermatologist's office

Jul. 13, 2014
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Dr. Jay Burns treats a patient with a procedure called fraxel laser resurfacing in his Dallas office in 2007. Burns is a former president of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. The procedure repairs aging and sun-damaged skin. / Mark W. Williams

by Julia Savacool, Special for USA TODAY

by Julia Savacool, Special for USA TODAY

Beach season is in full swing, and with it comes the return of barely there clothing as people across the country look to escape the summer heat.

What used to be the time of year for crash diets and fanatical workouts (rivaled only by those of New Year's resolutioners) has evolved into the season of trips to the dermatologist for a host of new procedures that can whip the body into shape in a single visit the way no session with a personal trainer ever could.

"Body procedures are very big in my office this time of year," says Paul Frank, a dermatologist in New York City. "During summer months, people are looking for anything that evens out and tightens the skin for the whole body."

Frank says a combination of better technology and growing demand has helped prices for the cosmetic procedures to come down significantly in the past five years or so. "Also, with the new technology, doctors can target the treatment area more specifically, so it's much more efficient and cost-effective," he explains. The price, while still high - the average for liposuction nationwide is just over $2,000, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and insurance most likely will not cover it - is about half what it was 10 years ago. "Now, rather than getting lipo for your lower body, you can target specific trouble spots, like love handles."

One popular request: hair removal. "No one wants to shave their legs and bikini area every day during the summer," says Amy Derick, a clinical instructor at Northwestern University and dermatologist in private practice in Barrington, Ill.

Because of new technology, such as lasers designed to permanently (and relatively painlessly) remove hair, dermatologists are seeing a growth in the number of patients requesting the procedure.

"The new lasers have the speed, precision and lack of pain, so doctor's offices can perform the procedures faster than ever before," Frank says. The laser can remove up to 90% of hair in one treatment.

(Most dermatologists do not endorse the DIY devices advertised on TV, which typically have undergone less rigorous testing for safety and efficacy.)

Another in-demand procedure: tattoo removal. An estimated 45 million Americans have a tattoo.

"I get a lot of people coming in during the warmer months who are suddenly much more conscious of an old tattoo, now that their skin is exposed," says Derick, who uses a new laser technology to fade the appearance of a tattoo with fewer treatments and greater success than in the past.

For those seeking a little help smoothing out their skin's lumps, dermatologists such as Frank offer a procedure that uses ultrasound waves to break down fat under the skin that gives the appearance of cellulite. "I inject local anesthesia, then use the procedure on a patient's outer thigh to 'iron out' any puckers in the skin," Frank says. The procedure "tightens skin from the inside out." Results can last up to two years.

Lasers are also an increasingly popular way to give skin a healthy glow. The fraxel laser is used to penetrate deep layers of skin and stimulate the production of new collagen. "You can use it on the chest, arms and shoulders to even out skin tone," Frank says.

While these procedures are still mainly performed on women - they make up 90% of the overall cosmetic treatment market - men's numbers are up 121% in the past decade and growing rapidly, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. The increase is largely due to less downtime after treatment, meaning fewer - if any - days missed from work.

And don't forget, the main way to keep your skin healthy year round isn't about what you do to it, it's about what you don't do: Don't smoke, don't skimp on sleep, don't dehydrate yourself out in the sun, and don't skip the sunscreen.

"As busy as business is this time of year, it is busier by far in the fall," Frank says. That's when all the sun worshipers do the walk of shame to their dermatologist's office, where their over-bronzed, under-protected skin requires serious R and R to reduce sun spots, examine any suspicious-looking freckles and moles, and even out redness and other skin-tone issues.

"The best way to avoid skin damage is to stay out of the sun," Derick says.